right from the very first note, this band destroys all. an upbeat emo drive with ultra-melodic guitars that are busy at work picking out the very best of catchy harmonies to just thrash at your ears so fucking hard they’ll bleed out of pure joy. this is a record to cherish from that first note to the very last note of the large and impressive ultra-climactic ending of an album beyond compare. The Tie That Binds shares a great deal with the likes of Eversor, Uni-V and Christie Front Drive. but look! there’s some The Get Up Kids and Jimmy Eat World over there, in the distance! yes. while being largely residing in emo territory, Half Past Heroes pays enough visits to the neighbouring country of alternative to churn out a great deal of chiming riffs that are catchy enough to secretly infiltrate a Saves the Day concert. there’s even those damned start-stop rhythms! but don’t get me wrong… despite showcasing some alternative influences, this is still ’90s emo to the core (albeit released in 2001). raw and slightly hoarse vocals singing fatalistic tunes about half past heroes, half empty bottles and the classic “better days” when you stayed out all day and in all night (holding her tight), harmonizing with guitars interchanging between sweet twinkling and heavily distorted power chords. in addition you’ll also notice some more soft bits as well, serving sometimes as build-ups to guitar/vocal harmonies that almost crosses into 90s hardcore (Unbroken, Sons of Abraham…) and generally just reign like none other. but other times, the slowing down and softening up leads to intimate confessions, easily compared to Mineral’s majestic compositions. when you listen to the track Half Past Hero, there’s something peculiarly reminiscent of TheLastWordIsRejoice. the vocal interactions generates a comfortable feeling of nostalgia. to sum up this record: get it. it’s simply amazing.